The Beginning
by Lumiere92
Summary: Basically a different view of Marie V. Synder's books. NOTE: I DO NOT OWN OR CLAIM ANY MATERIAL OR CHARACTERS I JUST HAVE WAY TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS.
1. The Beginning

The Beginning

"Irys don't get your hopes up. It's been ten years since Ivy disappeared. What makes you think they found her this time?" Roze Featherstone, first magician at the citadel, asked Irys, fourth magician.

"I just know Roze, okay? She _is_ my daughter, we do have a connection weak though it may be."

Irys' daughter, Ivy, had been kidnapped along with many other children and taken into the territory of Ixia ten years ago. Though Irys had searched for her daughter for many years, she had never found any trace of her. Until a few weeks ago that is. A band of rebels had been bribed to go to Ixia and locate any of the missing children. Word had spread that sixteen of them had been recovered and one of them was fourth magician's daughter. When Irys had first heard the news she had wanted to race out immediately to intercept the rebels but duty to her country prevented that. Now the rebels were just outside the door of the citadel and Irys, along with Roze, were racing down to the main entrance. As they reached the doors Roze put her hand on Irys' shoulder.

"Just be prepared," was all she said.

Taking a deep breath she opened the doors. At first she couldn't see Ivy but then one of the rebels pulled someone forward. What Irys saw made her catch her breath. The girl had light skin, black hair but with streaks of purple, a symbol that she had been a prisoner. Her eyes were large and a shinning green just like Irys'. Once she got past her joy though she took in the painful details. Ivy was deathly thin. All of her bones seemed to want to poke out of her skin, and her eyes only held pain and terror. Irys stepped forward instinctively to embrace her daughter but Ivy took a step back.

"Perhaps we should give them some space."

Irys vaguely herd Roze's voice. As everyone left she kept her eyes on Ivy. The girl's eyes were, if possible, filled with eve more terror.

_What have they done to you Ivy,_ Irys thought. "Ivy, do you remember me?"

For a moment the panic left her eyes as she focused on Irys. Then

she shook her head sadly and turned away. Disappointed but not disheartened she tried again.

"Ivy," once again eye contact, "do you mind if I hug you?"

Ivy shrugged but didn't take a move toward her mother. Taking her shrug as permission she embraced her daughter. She felt Ivy tense up but then relax.

"I have missed you so much Ivy." Irys whispered in her ear.

Whatever wall Ivy had built crumbled down. Suddenly Irys fond herself supporting Ivy as she began to cry. Startled, Irys fond herself crying too.

"How do you know?" Ivy whispered.

"How do I know what?"

"That I'm yours." She said this even quieter as if afraid of the answer.

"I know the same way you know. Your mine and I'm yours."

They kept holding each other for a long while until a movement caught Irys' eyes. Pushing Ivy behind her she called out, "Who's there?"

"It's just me Irys, you can relax."

Hearing Roze's voice Irys calmed and took notice that Ivy had a firm grip on her arm. Sensing the fear in her daughter, from their weak connection, she sent soothing thoughts into her mind. But what she met in Ivy's mind was a strong mental barrier.

_No wonder our connection is weak, _Irys thought , _I doubt even Roze could break through that wall._ Dark thoughts entered her min as she thought about why her daughter would have such a barrier.

"I came to tell you that you presence is required at the towers." Roze explained.

"I'll just take Ivy up to my rooms and meet you there."

Roze looked like she was about to say something but thought better of it.

"Come with me Ivy." Irys said taking Ivy's hand.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**What am I dong here, I thought to myself. I don't even know these people but I suppose it's better than being Ixia. As my mother led me up**

**the stairs I tried to form some sort of layout in my mind but I was too tired and wound up, if you can be both at the same time. My mother. This was a strange phrase for me to think. I didn't even think I had a family until the Sitians came to rescue me. I laughed quietly at the memory. Being dragged out of your bed in the middle of the night, thrown onto a horse, and told to hightail it for the border, is not hat some people would call rescuing. By dawn my rescuers and fellow peers had made it to the border. That was when I first found out I had a family. At least my mother I don't know about anyone else. At first I had wanted to run to my mother but we had to stop along the way to drop off the other children with their families. A total of sixteen children had been rescued out of the thirty that had been taken. We were all that was left. And I was the oldest at age thirteen. The rest were about ten and under. When we finally got to the citadel though, my stomach was filled with butterflies. What if, after ten years, my mother didn't want me? What if she had another kid? All the way there my mind kept going over all the 'what ifs' I could think of. But when I finally came face to face with her I didn't see disgust, anger, or disapproval, I saw sadness and joy in her eyes. I couldn't move for an irrational fear, that she would hate me if I moved, took over me. Then everybody was gone and I was left alone with Irys, my mother. She asked to embrace me and I gave an indifferent shrug, not wanting to seem eager. **

**Lavender was what I could smell when we first touched. I tensed because an almost memory stole into my thoughts. And for some unknown reason I began cry. My mother held me as I cried and I realized that she too was crying. We held each other for a long time until I heard a noise and apparently she saw something because she pushed me behind her. Once again I remembered that I was in a strange place with strange people. I didn't know the threats of this area, who was good or who was to be avoided. I gripped my mother's arm when somebody called out. She relaxed and I felt a mental brush against my barriers. Instinctively I strengthened them before I realized it was my mother. Oh well, I didn't want her in my mind anyway. Not until I could get to know and trust her better. They were talking about some meeting and I hears my mother mention something about her rooms. **

**She told me to follow her and she led me up countless flights of stairs. When we finally got to wherever we were going my mother turned to look at me. **

"**I have to go to an important meeting Ivy." She said**

**Why was she talking to me like I was four?**

"**These are my rooms make yourself comfortable. Your room is up the right staircase. I'll be back soon, okay?" I nodded keeping my expression neutral when really I was panicking. She looked at me a moment longer then hurried out of the room. I stared at the closed door for a while then decided to have a look at where my mother, and now myself, lived. There were six floors in total with three staircases. The first floor was lavishly decorated with fur rugs, a fireplace, and many comfortable couches. The first led to a locked room, noticing the hawk symbol on the front I guessed it was my mother's. From what I had been told she was fourth magician and her familiar was a hawk. I debated whether or not to pick the lock, then decided against it. I didn't need enemies here, I had enough of those in Ixia. **

**The main staircase led to the rest of the floors. The fourth floor was a library, with so many books I wondered if there were any left in Sitia. The fifth floor looked like a lab. I left as soon as I opened the door because it reminded me too much of my imprisonment in Ixia. The last floor much to my surprise was what looked like a meditation room. It was bare except for a rug which faced the most gorgeous view I had ever seen. In the distance there were snow-capped mountains and so may beautiful green trees. I found it hard to leave the room but my eyes had a different plan. I hadn't slept much during the trip here. I walked down to the main floor and climbed the stairs to my room. I held my breath as I opened the door.**

**The room looked bare as if my mother couldn't bear to have seen her child's belongings day after day when she believed that child was never coming back. There was an armoire, a bed, and a small end table. I looked around in sadness trying to remember this room. Nothing. Great. I turned to shut the door and when I looked back Irys was standing in the room. I jumped. This wasn't I just met. She was too happy looking. This wasn't the room I ha just walked into either. There **

**were dolls and glass figurines. Drawings that some small hands must have made. I heard a small yelp from behind her and what I saw almost made me faint, which I have never done. I saw myself, not the way I look now, but a much younger, happier me. Younger me was using paints to create a picture, I guess, I couldn't tell what it was supposed to be. There was a big blob in the middle of the picture. Irys walked toward the younger me and I would guess that she comforted me but at that moment I was yanked back to the present. **


End file.
